Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-06-25
TIE SAN FRANCISCO MEETING

\ mass meeting was held in San Fran
cisco Thursday night, ostensibly to awaken
people 10 the need of public improvements
Really, it was mainly used to boom the
Mechanics Institute Fair, in its unholy
endeavor to crush out the State and Dis
trict Agricultural Fairs 1t does not APP
pear to have been a very large and GER
tainly was not an enthusiastic meeting.
1t was presided over by Mr.. p B. Corn
wall, the moving spirit, the power behind
the whole scheme of the Mechanics Fair.
The first words that fell from his lips on
taking the chair placed the object of the
meeting behind the fair. That is to say,
local improvements should be made because
a fair is to be held. To complete the Grip
pied svllogism, he should have reasoned
that if no fair had been resolved upon, To-
cal improvements would be unnecessary.
Only few representative men occupied
the platform, and fewer still addressed the
assemblage.
All which is to be regretted, for so far as
the question Of local improvement is con-
cerned, it was an occasion that should have
called to the front an army of men of en-
terprise, possessions, business interests and
public spirit. Resolutions were passed de-
manding expenditure of public funds to
promote needed Improvement work. Bot,
unfortunately, the predicate for them was
. made out of the fact that " great fair y is
to be held in San Francisco, the preamble
putting that foot forward first; and we
must conclude, therefore, that the meeting
deemed il to be the best foot. Ia fact, ii is
Its weakest. For if the metropolis Of the
coast is TO be cleaned up and its shiny
genteel exterior brushed and soaped and
rinsed only TO make it more presentable to
strangers in September and October, it is
not worth doing at ALL
The lack of heart and spirit and sin
eerity Of the thing is made clear by the
fact that increase of the tax levy now as
asked for, cannot possibly result in any
bettermont of the city's condition before
the fair is held In the very midst Of this
spasln Of yirtuous resolve 10 improve, there
was interieeted resomtion-and there
were bat three all told-urging the Me-
chanics' show committee to canvass for
funds to boom the fair. If the meeting
was sincere in desiring and expecting local
improvement, it should have put that de-
sideratum upon its own legs, As it is,
the Improvement cause has been given
cruteh and asked to hobble, when it should
have been commanded to double-quick."
For out-and-out incapacity and blunder-
ing we have not known the equal of the
meeting, and Senator Hearst, Mr. Flour
noy. Mr. Bryant and Mr. Murphy, who
kindly addressed it, must really feel that
they have wasted their efforts. According
10 the meeting itself no city of equal promi.:
nenoe 80 much needs the spirit of improve
ment TO move upon the face of public
life. as San Francisco. 1t is not well
eNAiNitttiitu - 10 MdAhs, SEWERS, SIauS, we'll
kept streets or general cleanliness. There
are very many millions of money in the
city; property is steadily enhancing in
value commerce is augmenting and pop
ulatien charging; but in local improve
ment, outside of convenient means of
iransportation-du to private enterprise
and single fine park, the great city of
San Francisco is lamentably deficient, and
really falling behind, if we are to believe
the speakers at the meeting. Even though
unwisdom has sought to trundle little
life into the subject upon the wheels of
private fair, the effort to reclaim the city
from dust, dirt and ill smells; from squalid
quarters, Chinese filth, cruelty rough and
merciless Streets and other ills and neg
iects. ought to succeed. California is in
ferested in San Francisco even more than
San Francisco appears to be interested in
California, if we are to judge by the selfish
and absorbent disposition manifest by the
great city. California wants this smart
maid sitting by the sea to cleanse herself.
and put on better attire; to promote her
health by sanitary regulations and better
her condition generally; not because guests
are coming, bat because of her comfort,